The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-02-09
walking with her husband on the cliff but

short time before.
The poor mangled creature was not
quite dead, but moaned piteously as she
was raised up by some fishermen, who hur-
ried upon the scene after Witnessing the
catastrophe.
Speak" cried Hilda, suddenly starting
out of the spell of horror that had momen-
tarily enchanted her, and glaring at the
face of the sufferer with starting eyc-balls.
"Are You Estelle?"
The woman made a faint sign in the aft
firmative, and then expired.
Hllda never knew how she made her way
back home; she only remembered dream
like toiling over rocks and ruts, combined
with sickening, horriied sensation that
her own husband must have thrown that
woman over the crag; and then at last she
stood in his presence in the drawing room,
shocking him and the assembled servants
beyond expression by her awful pallor her
starting eyes, and the terrible, CHASTITY hor-
ror of her entire aspect aud bearing.
"Oh, Archy, to think of you as "a murder
er, as well as deceiverl" she shrieked.
"There-there at the foot of the cliff she
lies-Estellc, your divorced wife-bleed-
ing mangled, dead! Oh, how could you
do it?"
I'm the name of heaven, Hilda, what can
you mean?" he cried, springing forward 10
support her totte ring form, aud with his
face depicting as genuine horror as her own.
"What do you know about Estelle? And
dead, say you? Impossible. / left her but
a quarter of an hour ago, walking along
the brow Of Indian Head"
Hilda gave gasp of relief, and looked
at him eagerly, hopefully.
"If you please. sir, said an old fisher
man, who had followed Mrs. Delorme up
from the beach, and then doubtingly en-
tered the house after her, hat in hand;
"me and my mates saw the whole thing
from where we were mending our nets at
Gridiron Point. The lady's under n fear
full mistake, though 1t was an awful acct
dent for all that, or a suicide, We couldn't
tell which"
"How?" cried Delorme. "Estelle, you say,
fell over the cliff, them"
"Yes, sir or at least the lady did as
You was a walkin with on the top of In
dian Head little while ago." replied the
fisherman. AFTER me and my mates saw
YOU leave her to return TO the house, we
kept observin' of her pretty spry because
of her actin so strange an crazy like.
Then We was surprised at seein Mrs. De-
lorme hurryin down to the water through
the gap in n very excited way, which sort of
drew off our attention from the other bit.
Then, soon arter Mrs. Delorme reached
the bottom of the stone steps leading up,
one OF my mates gave yell and pointed
to the brow of Indian Head. None
of us could tell exactly how it
happened-whether she jumped off, or
tumbled over-but Jest ut that minute we
saw the strange lady making grabs at the
bushes and the air, as though TO save her
self, and then down she rolled and plunged
the hull three hundred feet of cliff, bound
Il IL
jags, and screaming terribly. She fell on
the rocks right at ,Irs. Delorme's feet, an
was dead a minute arter we tux her up.
Archibald Delorme gave n groan, and
buried his face in his hands.
Hllda only bore up long enough TO hear
the close of the fsherman's story-to be
assured that her husband, however erring,
was anything but q murderer-and then
she swoomed away for the second time that
morning. and was carried to her room by
Norah and Mrs. Saunders.
An attack of brain-fever followed her
prostitution, consequent upon the terrible
shock of that mornings catastrophe, and
she was confined 10 her bed for several
weeks.
Her husband was the very soul of ten
derness and devotion during that trying
period. He scarcely quilted her bedside,
was even jealous of the hired nurses, and
at last, one day when her convalescence
was assured, he took her hand in his, and
made clean breast OF the secrets of his
former miserable married life.
He told her how the unprincipled woman,
from whom he had been Justly divorced.
had followed him across the sea soon after
his second marriage, and so besieged him
with Matchmaking demands, both by letter
and interview, coupled with threats of ex-
posing his past misery to Hilda and his
new friends, as to render his life burden.
He told her how, upon his last interview
with her, she had boldly expressed her de-
termination TO introduce herself into his
house, and shame him in Hildas eyes, but
that she had in all probability altered her
intention, and sought relief in self destruc-
ton soon after his quitting her to return
to the house.
Hilda heard all and forgave all. She
had an unbosoming to make on her own
account, and she did so with the utmost
freedom confessing her unworthness for
the suspicion and distrust to which she
had afforded too ready Judgment in her
breast, and solemnly ayerring never again
to withdraw her confidence in his truth and
manliness.
SO, mt last the evil cloud that had arisen
between these welded lives was dissipated.
Since then their union has been sunny, and
blessed with loving children, while the
erring and unfortunate Estelle slumbers in
her seaside grave. which both Hilda and
her husband oft sit, for the purpose of
decking it with flowers and dropping the
reluctant tear to her hapless memory.